From the Islands Press

HERE is a concrete personal example of what institutions controlling investing capital (in

Papua-New Guinea) . . . think

about the future under the 1964 four-to-one native majority in the Legislative Council.

Some years ago after sinking over £70,000 in pioneering and developing my farm at Zenag, now producing milk, cream, eggs, poultry, vegetables, pork, beef, etc. ... I asked for and got a loan of £25,000 from the bank to carry on with my develop mental programme.

Last year, I was called upon to repay the principal on terms I could not meet and at the same time provide for some degree of security for the pipe dream utopia envisaged for this country by self styled expert authorities. I re quested an extension of five years on the loan but, in spite of the enhanced value of the farm, this request was refused.

I then offered to further hock 1,700 head of cattle, valuing them at the Admin, cattle subsidy of £37/10/- per head . . . This additional collateral was no in centive to a five-year extension, and I decided to approach the three other banks in Lae . . .

They, very wisely, are not pre pared to take the risk inherent in the premature abandonment of the lives and assets of both ex patriate and native people in this country.— Letter from Michael (Mick) J. Leahy in the “New Guinea Times Courier”.

PERHAPS the biggest problem facing us today (in Western Samoa) is education. It is not possible to educate all our young people to even a low standard, however much we may wish to do so, and the sooner that is realised the sooner there will be worth while results from the large, but still inadequate, sums being spent for that purpose.

There is not the money, the buildings or the staff available now, or in the immediate future, to educate all. To begin with, the population is increasing too fast.

It is imposible to cope with pre sent demands, so how can we expect to deal with the snowballing of the coming years?— Editorial in the “Samoa Bulletin”.

I READ with great interest the article in a recent Newsletter concerning the police dog in Tonga who detected the kumara thief. I wonder if the Administration, the Niue Island Assembly and the Police Department, in particular, could introduce a dog of such in telligence into Niue to help in maintaining law and order on the island?

It would be very useful if a plantation is looted or even when a sixpence is missing from the house, and it would also answer the usual reply from the police when they say, “It’s just too bad, it can’t be proved”. If we have this kind of dog then all that is needed is to telephone the dog and he will do the job in no time.

I think Niue needs him.— Letter from I. Ikimouitagaloa in the “Niue Newsletter”.

THE need for controlling the rate of growth of the world’s population fantastically and dangerously increased by advances in medical treatment and the con trol of killing disease is recog nised by thinking people every where.

In Fiji, the need is very clear.

Even now, there are not enough jobs to go round. Year after year, thousands of children leave school and have nothing to do but loaf round, with mischief—and worse —as the only outlet for their energies.

Thousands of children of large families have to go hungry or ill clothed, and live in crowded slums because, with so many to look after, the parents just cannot afford to pay for adequate food or good clothes, or meet the cost of rent and education. — Editorial in “The Fiji Times”.

IF we decide to have self-govern ment and keep right away from Australia and have separate gov ernment, we will be very sad people in the future . . .

Every Papuan and New Guinean should bear in mind that it is wonderful to go to mother when in time of need. The breast that fed you from your infancy is al ways there.— Letter from Albert Maori Kiki, of Buka, in the ‘South Pacific Post”, Port Moresby.